Ep 101 - Finding Healing in the Wild | Jillian Brown on Nature, PTSD, and Pushing the Limits of Documentary Photography

On this episode of The Life of PHYS Podcast, I’m joined by Jillian Brown, a Canadian documentary photographer whose story is one of resilience, adventure, and the deep healing power of the natural world.Jillian is someone who truly lives the stories she shares. Her work takes her into wild places, often pushing herself to the edge physically and mentally, all in pursuit of documenting the connection between humans, nature, and the power that exists when we slow down enough to listen to the world around us.Her journey with photography started early on a small island in Northwestern Ontario where she grew up surrounded by wildlife and the natural world. After receiving her first camera as a young girl, she began documenting that relationship with the land and the animals around her. That connection would go on to shape the direction of her life.After studying Fine Arts and Photography in university, Jillian eventually made her way west to British Columbia chasing both adventure and the creative life. But like many powerful stories, the path wasn’t easy. After leaving an abusive relationship she found herself homeless, living in a tent in the woods while navigating a diagnosis of PTSD.And it was there, back in nature, that something began to change.The same wilderness that inspired her photography as a kid became a place of healing. A place to rebuild. A place where she began to understand just how powerful our connection to nature can be when everything else in life feels uncertain.That shift led Jillian to push herself in incredible ways. She became the first Canadian woman to paddle across America and completed a world first expedition paddling a tandem sea kayak down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Along the way she documented landscapes, wildlife, cultures, and the deeper stories that live inside these places.Her work and her story have reached people around the world through publications, speaking engagements, outdoor organizations, and even the Bell Let’s Talk national mental health campaign where she shared how nature helped her navigate PTSD and find her way forward.Today Jillian continues to use photography, storytelling, and time spent in the wild to inspire others to reconnect with nature, with themselves, and with the idea that healing can sometimes begin with something as simple as stepping outside.This is a conversation about resilience, about adventure, about creativity, and about the powerful relationship between the natural world and our own mental health.Support The Photography Heals Your Soul⁠⁠⁠⁠Help Us Reach Our 30K Goal Visit Jillian:Instagram: @jillianbrownphotographyThreads: @jillianbrownphotographyVisit The Show: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@life.of.phys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@life.of.phys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifeofphys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Web: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thelifeofphys.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support The Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliate Links⁠⁠⁠⁠